BodyLove: Beauty is fleeting! Own it!

This past weekend I spent a glorious spa day with two people who are close to my heart, Raylene from Diary of an innocently oblivious girl and my cousin, Janine!

A Caesar Salad and a conversation please! 

My friend, Raylene is very health conscious and does her best to keep in shape and it shows. My cousin, Janine is a leggy beauty with the longest black hair. Between the two, I felt... hmmm, pretty okay! 

We got to chatting about beauty, the flaws and the fabulous over a Caesar salad and an ice-tea. My cousin told us that she feels a bit insecure about certain areas of her body. It was confirmation that even the most gorgeous women have a distorted body image.  

That thing that makes you who you are

I felt frustrated because to so many women and men, my cousin is absolutely beautiful and has nothing to worry about. In her mind, she had a few major flaws which only really exists in her grey matter.

When you focus so much on the external, you forget about the internal. You miss the beauty inside of yourself because you are to pre-occupied with the media's idea of what you are supposed to look or act like. As life goes, we lose that youthful beauty and as it fades, something else has to take centre stage... That thing that makes you who you are. Your individuality, that thing that makes you the best aunt or story-teller or dress maker or whatever makes you different and memorable.

Faking it is contagious 

BodyLove means taking care and accepting where you are, while you are on your way to getting where you want to be and not letting your 'flaws' rule your life. So if I think of my own 'flaws', it is probably the few extra kilos I have gained but while I am in this space,  I am owning it. It is not stopping me from enjoying life and it is not going to dictate what or how I feel about myself. This is not easy because on the days that I truly feel bad about myself, I have to force it or fake and trust me... This is the true test. 

So, to get back the spa day... Sure, I felt insecure when we got to the pool but I didn't stop me! Was I seriously going to cover up when I was in the company of people who love and respect me? No! 

I recall Raylene's words when I was younger... She said; "Girl fake it until you make it!".  So while I faked my confidence when I dropped my towel... I was figuratively clutching all the parts of my body that I didn't want to highlight and my insides were screaming nooooooo! On the flipside, I really gained power by ignoring my body issues. It was simple, I decided to fake the hell out of it and to enjoy myself with my loved ones rather than miss out on the opportunity to make memories that would last! 

The real confidence was a direct result of facing the thing that made me uncomfortable... That was confident feeling was contagious, because my cousin absorbed enough of it to enjoy herself and lay off the self lashings for a while.

We only have so much time in these bodies... We might as well make the best of it. Beauty is fleeting and we have to adapt at every change and every age! Oprah always speaks about your authentic self... So, let that person shine through. 

Lots of BodyLove,

Mishtery  

Raylene also posted about our spa day! Click here to read about it! 

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15 On Orange

If you are looking for clever design and sophistication, you should give 15 On Orange a whirl. Suntra Spa is located on the 7th floor of this trendy hotel. The spa offers, expert staff, five-star treatment, stunning views of the mountain and a pool deck that will make you want to stay for more. As well as access to Cinnamon Coffee Shop and Murano Bar for cocktails or a beautiful light meal (Try the Ceasar salad at Cinnamon! It is to die!) Click here to read more about 15 On Orange.

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